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5.1.8.2. Physical activity
Despite of high motorization rate in Lagos, walk trips has also a significant modal share, which is 40%
of total trips in LMA (see NMT section). These trips are mostly done by low income travellers who
cannot afford to pay public transport fares. The advantage of a high number of pedestrians in Lagos is
the physical activity by walking that they perform regularly, can positively contribute to their health
condition (reduce risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes).
On the other hand, pedestrians are those who are directly and mostly affected by air pollution
exhausted by motorized vehicles due to congested traffic in Lagos.
5.1.9. Climate Change
The humid tropical climate of Lagos is influenced by her coastal location and nearness to the equator
and is characterised by two distinct seasons: wet and dry season. During the rainy season many parts
of Lagos are susceptible to flooding. Major causes of floods in built-up areas are uncontrolled
expansion of impermeable surfaces due to increasing urbanization resulting in increased runoff
volume, runoff responses under high intensity rainfall, building on floodplains, lack of storm water
drainage, failure to maintain existing drainage systems and weak institutional capacity of the urban
administration.
According to many studies, climate change has been responsible to the changes in the intensity and
pattern of storms in Lagos. Fewer rainstorms recorded in the latter period are much heavier than
those of the earlier period with a tendency to producing more floods. Since most of Lagos lies 10
meters or less above sea level, infrastructural investments have also been driven by the need for
climate resilient development.
Lagos State’s transportation sector contributes to almost 50% of Nigeria’s greenhouse gas (GHG)
emission. The deployment of BRT has been acknowledged to reducing CO2 emissions from urban
transport by 13% (UNEP, 2013).
5.1.10. Social exclusion
5.1.10.1. Ageing population
Mobility and quality of life of elderly in Lagos are significantly related to the quality of neighbourhood
(Alade et al, 2013). Quality of life in this context is linked with the socioeconomic attributes of the
people and the quality of transport system available to them in the pursuit of their daily activities. Old
people in planned residential neighbourhoods tend to have higher quality of life in terms of
socioeconomic status and mobility than those in unplanned communities, as neighbourhood quality
to a great extent determines the quality of transport infrastructure which in turn affects quality of life.
5.1.10.2. Gender
In Lagos, women are the worst hit of the prevailing criminal activities in public transport (Olufemi,
2009). Women are often perceived by perpetrators of crime as weaker sex, thus their inability to
defend themselves against crime partly, made them frequent victims or prey to crime in public
transport. High demand or rush for public transport during peak periods often generates disorderly
behaviour and simultaneously leads to a conducive environment for criminal activities of different
types.
Most criminal activities occur while waiting for buses and okada because most bus stops are being
wrongly located and poorly designed. Such criminal activities in public transport have continuously
affected the travel pattern and livelihoods of women in Lagos.
5.1.10.3. Urban poor